(no subject)

[caz963]

I had an interview on Monday – well, sort of an interview. I’ve signed up with a number of teaching agencies with a view to getting either long or short-term supply work from September to fill the three days a week I’m going to be losing at the primary school, and so far they’ve all seemed fairly confident about being able to get work for me. In fact, one of them has clearly forgotten I’m not available until September and has offered me about three supply jobs already!

Last week, I signed up with a couple more though – and I had a call from one of them the following day saying she’d sent my CV immediately to a school in Ipswich that’s having trouble finding a music teacher, that they were interested in me and would I like to go out there for a look around and to find out about the school and the job, etc?

Obviously the “having trouble” finding a music teacher bit rang some alarm bells, because of course I thought “why?” But beggars can’t be choosers, the school falls into my preferred travelling “radius” – being about the same distance from home as the other school I work at, just in a slightly different direction – so off I went.

They need someone full-time; they know I’m not available full-time immediately because of my contract at the other school, but I get the impression they’ll take what they can get, so if I took the job, I could start part-time and then resign at the other place if things there work out and then take up the post full-time. One full-time job is what I’ve wanted all along – although it would have been easier to have had it the last couple of years while I’ve been struggling to cope with two or three jobs and schemes of work AND complete my induction period, but better late than never, I suppose.

I’d be the only music teacher at the school – which is a bit of a daunting thought, because I’ve never had that before; there’s always been at least one other member of staff in the music departments where I’ve worked. Although having said that, there have been times when I’ve been the only one actually in the department at any one given time! So it would mean a bit more responsibility, although there’s a head of faculty (Music is in with Drama and Art) who I think would have the overall responsibility for budget and admin and stuff. The facilities aren’t great; but given what I’ve had to put up with this year, I could manage. And apparently there’s a bit of money to spend, so with any luck I could get some new instruments and equipment. The school itself looks to be in a similar sort of area to the one I’m at already – so again, nothing I’m not used to, although I think it’s a bit smaller and it seems to have decent disciplinary procedures in place.

The school day is 8.30 – 2.30; it’s a six period day of fifty minutes each, which is the system the school I’m at is switching to in Sept. Because lunch is only 30 minutes, there aren’t any lunchtime activities, so anything like that would have to be done after school. But that’s part of the territory when you’re a music teacher; you’re expected to take part in extra-curricular activities and it’s only because I’ve been part time this last couple of years that I’ve not really been able to be involved very much.

I’ve been asking myself – “do I really want to do that journey five times a week?” The answer is “no”, but then there’s every likelihood that, if I did supply work, I’d end up travelling a lot. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work locally for some of the time but I realise that’s not always going to be possible. And actually, it’s not so much the actual journey, it’s the cost. Petrol prices are increasing all the time and I reckon that doing that journey – it’s about a sixty mile round trip – five times a week won’t leave me much if any - change out of fifty quid.

And of course I’ve got my health to think about. It’s been a tough year and I’ve had a lot to contend with, but things are gradually improving at home, Mr Caz is a lot better than he was and so that’s one less thing for me to have to worry about. And maybe a change really is as good as a rest. I should be finishing my probation on 14th July, so I can start the next school year without that hanging around my neck. Perhaps working in just one place will help – one of the real downsides about part-time working is that you do tend to be a little “removed” at times from what’s going on. So many times I’ve found out about things late, or not been told at all, simply because I’ve been forgotten about because I’m not always around. (And it’s not just me, I know other part-time members of staff who have the same problem).

I was trying to weigh up the financial pros and cons of working full time versus part time.

I know I’ve said this before, but in my income bracket, I really do need to look seriously at whether it’s worth slogging my guts out full-time or whether to work part time and rely on tax-credits and other small benefits to make up the money. I don’t know how many people reading this really know what teachers earn; these bloody adverts that say you can earn £35k are a joke. In what will be my fourth year of teaching, I’ll earn about £21k if I work full time. Yes, I get thirteen weeks “holiday” a year – but I don’t get to decide when I take it. Apart from the long summer break, most of the school holidays are spent working for at least 50% of the time, and I can’t take advantage of cheaper, out of season holidays. (*ahem* unless I’m skiving off to New York to see Bradley Whitford! But that was a one off!)

Anyway, I’ll have to see what happens. The people I met seemed interested and to like what I had to say about the way I run my classroom and the different schemes of work that I can offer. I guess it depends on whether they can find someone else who can start full-time straight away.

And I'll be getting my timetable for Sept shortly. It looks as though, rather than being a "Music teacher who also teaches French", I'm going to become a "French teacher who also teaches music", and thus add to the growing number of teachers who teach subjects they're not qualified to teach. Apparently, I've only got two music classes out of a possible twelve next year. I'm entitled to one period of PPA time from the remaining ten, so I could be teaching French for a day and a half instead! I have to say though, that I don't really mind. I've quite liked teaching French the last couple of years and it's always useful to have an extra string to my bow.



Oh, and by the way, I might not be commenting much, because I'm a bit pushed for time, but I'm reading and trying to keep up with what you're all up to! Hopefully, I'll have my broadband back next Tuesday - thank God!

Comments

[hooloovoo_42]

Sounds promising. If they offer it and you can cope with a term of doing 2 schools, I'd go for it, on the understanding it would become full time as soon as you can get out of the other place.

Being full time in one school is far less hassle and if the disciplinary procedures are better, it sounds like you'd have fewer problems with the kind of knuckledraggers you've had this year. It may not be the ideal solution, but it's probably better than the uncertainty of supply work. As you say, you can be sent pretty much anywhere at absolutely no notice whatsoever.

Of course, you know all the pros and cons, but it does sound like it could we worth it at least for a while.

[leli-5.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad to hear you've got some prospects, finally! I don't know what to advise you to do but I do hope whatever you choose works out to be less stressful than this last while has been for you. Fingers crossed. And I'm happy to hear that Mr. Caz is continuing to do better.

Hope your internet is up soon... I miss having you around!